American Crime Makes Belated Comeback

TVNZ 1 at last is about to premiere season two of the one of the best American network dramas in years, American Crime.

The courtroom drama will screen around 10.30 Mondays from January 2 — almost a year to the day since it went to air on ABC in the US.

It’s been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards — Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television and Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Felicity Huffman) — and already has picked up a best actress Emmy for Regina King.

The 10-part series reprises most of the original cast but in “very different” roles as its doubles down on its “edgy, in-your-face attitude toward entertainment with a new story focusing on rape, adolescence and America’s athletic culture”.

It received similar acclaim to season one. “Scene for scene, it feels more attuned to the daily realities of life in 2016 America than any other drama on network TV,” New York magazine raved.

“And because it’s a self-contained story that bears no relation to season one, you can jump right into it. I urge you to give it a shot if you aren’t already a fan. Just be patient. It’s one of those shows that needs a bit of time to work its peculiar magic.”

Echoed Variety: “It all speaks to a level of ambition that has become increasingly rare in the broadcast spectrum, as if abdicating to cable this level of quality, or at least the willingness to tackle serious issues in such a nuanced manner …

“For those with the patience to invest in it, missing out on American Crime would indeed be criminal.”

A third American Crime series will screen this year in the US (and hopefully here) while writer John Ridley is writing and directing a feature-length documentary about the racial tensions in Los Angeles that were so vividly chronicled in the ESPN series, OJ: Made in America.

Let It Fall: La 1982-1992 will air on ABC later next year, which will mark the 25th anniversary of the Rodney King Riots.

4 Responses to “American Crime Makes Belated Comeback”

Finally we have an airdate for AC, would of been nice to see it in primetime earlier in the year but I suppose with the other shows which have tanked I can see why. In my opinion this could of slotted in behind Broadchurch season 3 at 9.30 on Sundays.

Yes, it’s disgraceful that a series of this calibre has been left on the shelf for so long. But presumably it’s related toTVNZ 1 having to play off series with rights that expire quicker or some other amortisation quirk. And for those who can endure its variable streaming quality, TVNZ OnDemand did premiere AC express from the US.